Girona Kids: Castell de Montsoriu

Yesterday we drove about 40 minutes away to visit the Castell de Montsoriu, which is one of the most important medieval castles in all of Catalunya. Most of the castle was built during the 13th and 14th centuries, but the chapel dates back to the year 1011. Quite incredible! The family of the viscount of Cabrera was very powerful and ruled over the Mediterranean area. They were also considered to have one of the most noble bloodlines in Catalunya.

One cannot drive to the castle, though it is open for tourists. Don't you love Catalunya? There is a very nice parking lot (with bathrooms) and a park ranger-type person. He will point you to the right trail. He told us it was about a 40 minute hike to the castle, but we made it easily in about 30 minutes with both children. Aurelia walked, so we were not moving at a quick pace. Now, the hike does become quite steep. Eston was fine on his own, but Aurelia needed help with the steeper bits, so this is not the spot for a stroller.

We purchased tickets (5 euros, kids under 13 free) for the unguided tour. The people at the information desk provided us with information in both Catalan and English and the translation was excellent, which is rare. We spent about an hour or so exploring the different areas of the castle and then found a spot to sit down and enjoy the zucchini bread I had baked on Saturday afternoon.